Can we reach 6 EPISODES by midnight? 4 Updates from the Future. Plus… meet our next NEXT new Mad!

Dear Friends of MST3K,

You know, I've always liked that name. It's kind of like, for this one day each year, we're all living… in the future.

So, to celebrate Cyber Monday, I'm going to share some updates about the future!

We WILL reach our next goal by midnight: $3.3MM and 6 NEW EPISODES!

When we do, all backers $85+ WILL get thanked in the credits of a new MST3K!

By tomorrow, we'll introduce more new ADD-ON REWARDS.

Plus… you WILL meet our next next new Mad... right now!

FUTURE UPDATE #1

Before 11:59pm PST, we'll pass our second goal of $3.3MM, letting us make at least six new episodes of MST3K next year!

This one is pretty obvious, huh? We've got just over $100K left until we reach that next goal of $3.3M, and that's way less than you MSTies raised during the previous challenges. If we keep pushing today, we can totally do this. And actually, I've got three more future updates that might help us get there even faster.

FUTURE UPDATE #2

When we reach $3.3MM, you'll get our next BONUS REWARD: we'll include all Kickstarter backers* who pledge $85 or more in the end credits of a new episode of MST3K.

There's been a little bit of confusion about how your Kickstarter pledge works with our "Add On Rewards", so we'll update our Add-On Rewards FAQ today to explain it better… but it's pretty simple:

If you pledged $85 or higher here on Kickstarter, you'll be able to get this bonus reward too. Check to see what pledge level you've selected here on Kickstarter, since that can be different from the total amount of money you've contributed. Basically, if your rewards include downloads of ALL NEW EPISODES, you'll get the bonus "Thank You Credit" too!

What you spend on Add-On Rewards at MST3K.com does not count toward your pledge level on Kickstarter. When you get Add-On Rewards, you're basically just buying the items you want. Whatever you spend on Add-Ons will count toward our final goal of $5.5MM, but it won't change your pledge or reward level here on Kickstarter.

By tomorrow, we'll release more Add-On Rewards, including exclusive new items that you've been asking for!

As soon as our new Add-Ons are available, I'll send another update to let you know… but if you want to customize your rewards to get just the items you want – or you want more than one of something – you'll be able to choose exactly what rewards you want. It's "a la carte," as the French say.

Anyway, I've got one more big update – and this is the one I'm most excited about.

FUTURE UPDATE #4

Meet our next next new Mad.

Last week, when I announced Felicia, Hampton and Baron, I also teased one more new character we're planning for MST3K: a new Evil Henchman. Since then, I've been watching all of your guesses, and there have been so many good suggestions that we'd need a whole army of Evil Henchmen to use them all.

But I have to tell you, I feel pretty wonderful about our new Evil Henchman. In fact, it's not much fun to just tell you, so I'll let him introduce himself:

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So yeah, as some of you already guessed...

Patton Oswalt has agreed to join MST3K as the Forrester's newest Evil Henchman... TV's Son of TV's Frank!

You know, the funny thing is that when we launched our Kickstarter, I hadn't even approached Patton about being on MST3K… but I had thought a lot about getting him involved.

I first became aware of Patton around fourteen years ago, when he was doing "commentary" for the MTV Awards – live in the room during the event! I realized right away he was a kindred spirit, and damn funny too. Since then, obviously, he's bloomed into this amazing comedy/internet dynamo, and I've gotta tell you: I've seen a lot of stand-ups over the years, but – no lie – Patton really is one of the best ever. And just as important, he's a very fun, articulate and witty soul – just the kind of person who we've always tried to bring onboard for MST3K.

That's probably why, when I started putting together my dream roster of special "guest writers" for the next season of MST3K, the idea of Patton kept coming back to me. I knew he was a Mystery Science Theater fan from way back – he even moderated our 20th Anniversary Reunion panel at San Diego Comic-Con)--and I thought he'd be terrific at writing riffs. Then I started to wonder if he might be a good fit on camera, too.

Remember last week, how I said my creative process usually starts with visuals, and then I work backward? Well, in this case, I first imagined Patton dressed up like TV's Frank. I figured maybe he'd be Frank's son, or at least a clone. But yeah: the idea of Patton wearing black lab assistant's garb, with a big mound of silver hair and a spitcurl...? It was just really funny to me, in a visual / cross-referential / meta kind of way.

Anyway, like I said, I wasn't able to connect with Patton before we launched our Kickstarter. (That's one reason his silhouette wasn't in the teaser graphic when we started, and why he's not in the videos with Jonah, Felicia, Hampton and Baron.) After the campaign took off, we started emailing again. I tested the waters by seeing if he'd be interested in being a guest writer for an episode, and he was really enthusiastic.

So, I decided to just go for it, and here's what happened:

I took “OH MY GOD” as a yes. We started working out the details, and I asked a graphics friend to create an image that sort of cloned Patton into someone who would look like Frank's son. I think the image turned out great. Then, last week, after we talked a little more, Patton said, "I want to be called something like 'TV's Son of TV's Frank.'" So I guess that's what we're going to call him.

Anyway, even though we won't start working on contracts until after the Kickstarter ends, it seems pretty safe to say that Patton will be on board with us, on camera AND as a special guest writer too!

Plus, if your rewards include a SIGNED MST3K POSTER ($300 and up), now it'll include Patton's autograph. Just think of all the time you'll save by not standing in line at Comic-Con!

Now, aren't you glad you stuck with me to see where all this was going?

So yeah, that's my first-ever update from the future. What do you think, sirs?

Remember: the Turkey Day Challenge and our Turkey Day/Black Friday/Cyber Monday specials both end at 11:59pm PST tonight. So you can still get our "87 classic episodes for $150" deal and help make sure you get more new episodes of MST3K. Something old and something new. Sounds good, right?

In the next update, I'll have more details about our new ADD-ON REWARDS, plus some details about how you can VOLUNTEER TO HELP with some fun surprises we're planning for the final week of our Kickstarter campaign. But until then...

KEEP CIRCULATING THE URL!

Cheers and Thanks,

Joel

Tom Servo, official Cyberman. You heard Joel's big news! Now help us make sure all of your friends hear it, so that we can hit our next goal before midnight. (Plus, ladies, once we reach six episodes there should be enough Tom Servo for all of you.) Sound good? Helping is easy.

Just post one (or all) of these messages to Twitter & Facebook right now:

Superbacker

This may have been mentioned before, but if you really want to milk some more dollars out of the hardcore fans, and the old ones who aren't that into this reboot, you should offer the some KTMA shows as an exclusive download for $500 pledges and up.

Superbacker

Superbacker

Not gonna lie, he's sounding like Frank's kid there, and the name is perfect. I can only dream that at some point his father will descend from Second Banana Heaven to impart wisdom unto him. Either that or in a pudgy hologram ala Marlon Brando to Christopher Reeve.

Joel. You need to get Neil Degrasse Tyson to plug your thing... maybe shoot a video when the new cast is riffing a small clip of Neil's COSMOS and then Neil comes out of the video to scold you. Neil has a huge following of intelligent minded folks that would be a target audience and a much younger audience as well.

I don't know Patton much. Liked him in the few cameos I saw him in (weird al videos and a great part on the vegas episode of Modern Family,) He is obviously getting people excited and I think will fit well with the great new cast. The real question is WHO ELSE IS JOEL CONTACTING NOW THAT WE HAVE 6 EPISODES TO MAKE. A couple more announcements like this and we are on our way to a full season.

Superbacker

I really like the casting choice, but I do hope Patton's hair will look a lot better than the photoshop. It'll probably be fine? But I'd really be okay with him doing his own hair thing, even if he is supposed to be Son of Frank. Being related doesn't have to mean identical hairstyles! But it would certainly be humorous to see him doing something iconic with his hair.

Still wishing/hoping for an Ashly Burch cameo... hell, it would be great to see her and Anthony writing jokes for this thing! Guess I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Just as Joel had an eye for comic talent and chemistry at the beginning of MST3K in the beginning KTMA days, he proves once again that eye for talent hasn't dulled a bit! This has quickly become a dream team collaboration in my opinion. If I get any more excited about this I may combust with glee! Welcome aboard Patton! You're about to join a helluva' team! :)